Shoemaking



p i 30,1940. E. F. MATHEWS 2 198 917.

SHOEMAK'ING Filed May 8. 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 III y IIMHIHIIIM lug/61 I Edward 1 m'affiewfi April 1940 E. F. MATHEWS 2,198,917

SHOEMAKING Filed May 8, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 canon o a 90 afibrwgyfi April 30, 1940.

S HOEMAKING Filed May 8, 1936 E. F. MATHEWS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 30, 1940 SHOEMAKING Edward F. Mathews, Weymouth, Mass. Application May 8, 1936, Serial No. 78,605

3' Claims.

By this precision method it is possible to fabricate a shoe in the same sense that any mechanism is fabricated from parts which are preplanned and shaped to fit together. The method of my invention, therefore, differs fundamentally from the methods of shoe making new practiced under commercial conditions where it is custom ary to out many of the shoe parts oversize and then gradually reduce them as the shoe making process is carried along. For example, the upper is usually cut with a lasting allowance of at least 4" which is trimmed off after the lasting oper ation and the sole is cut oversize and trimmed to final shape after attachment to the shoe. In accordance with the method of my invention, on the contrary, every piece in the entire shoe, is

preplanned, definitely marked and accurately perforated so that all shoes of a given size may be constructed of interchangeable parts throughout.

The method of my invention involves such modifications of commercial shoe making "asto require new types of patterns and lasts as well as new and simplified devices and machinery.

In another aspect, my invention consists in a shoe of new and improved construction, light in Weight, Well fitting and capable of being manui'actured on a large scale or as a custom-made product with advantage from the standpoint of economy. Ihe shoe of my invention moreover may be distributed in knocked-down condition. that is to say, with the individual parts complete,

and may be assembled anywhere from simple instructions by the wearer, or it may be'repaired. with equal ease and Worn parts conveniently replaced. I

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred manner of carrying out the method as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a combined outsole die and pattern,

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of an outsole blank as punched bythe die of Fig. 1,

(Cl. 12-142) Y I Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of an inverted die with a sole in position thereon, Fig. 4 is a View in side elevation, partly insection, of an outsole and heel,

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of an insole perforated with a double row of thread holes,

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a lined and perforated vamp,

Fig. l is a view in perspective of-a lined upper, Fig. 8 illustrates the thread used in uniting the shoe parts,

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a perforated back-stay, Fig. 10 is a view in side elevation of a shoe as first assembled with the insole,

Fig. 11 is a view in cross section on the lin ll--H of Fig. 10,

plete shoe with last inserted,

Figs. 13 and 14 are views in cross section through the forepart of the shoe shown in Fig. 12, v l g Fig. 15 is a sectional View on an enlarged scale illustrating the outseam,

Figs. 16 and 17 are fragmentary views in perspective illustrating details of the sole and upper before being joined together.

Fig. 18 is a fragmentary view in perspective of the sole and. upper of Fig. 16 after being joined together.

The shoe of my invention may have either single or double sole and in either case the sole or soles .arecut to final finished size without trimming allowance and perforated about the margin thereof. ient to employ a die of the type shown in Fig. 1 comprising a metal plate Zil having the de- Fig. 12 is a view in side elevation of a com- For this purpose it is convensired contour and equipped with a line of punches 2!. The outsole blank 30 may be forced by any convenient mechanism into contact with the face of the'die 2t and the punches Zithus driven.

as indicated in Fig. 4. Any desired type of heel may be employed and secured by cement or by metallic fasteners. As herein shown the sole is provided with a low rubber heel 34 having an inclined breast edge.

In making the insole itis desirable to provide a double row of perforations about the forepart as indicated in Fig. 5 and this may be accomplished in the manner already explained except that in this case the die will be equipped with a double row of punches. As shown in Fig. 5, the insole 4B is provided with an outer row of perforations 32 which correspond with the perforations 32 of the outsole 3E! and terminate at the heel breast line, and with an inner row of perforations 4 1 which extend entirely about the con tour of the sole. This insole is grooved at 45 about its margin to receive'the lasted edge of the upper.

The preparation of the upper is indicated in Figs 6, '7 and 9. As shown in Fig. 6, a vamp 46 having a bellows tongue 4'! is lined with material 43 cut to finished size and provided with a row of perforations 49 which extend about the margin of the vamp and across the throat of the tongue 41. It will be understood that the vamp shown in Fig. 6 is selected for purposes of illustration only and that in shoes of other styles from that herein illustrated the vamp may be of radically different contour. The marginal perforations 49 of the vamp are not, as was the case in the sole, formed with a uniform spacing but, as indicated in Fig. 16, under certain conditions predetermined by the contour, as about the forepart, the vamp perforations are spaced more widely than the perforations 44 of the insole in order that when the two sets of perforations are brought into registration a fullness will be thrown into the vamp. Preferably a relatively wide spacing of the perforations 49 will extend about the edge of the vamp and in a zone at one side which in the finished shoe lies adjacent to the little toe of the wearer. The exact location of the widely spaced perforations in the vamp is a matter of need and may be graduated within .01 inch and varied in locations in accordance with the requirements of the individual shoe although it is important to locate the relatively widely spaced perforations in the general locality referred to. This arrangement of perforations in the sole and upper is illustrated in Figs. 16 and 18. In Fig, 16 the perforations 49 in the upper are indicated as being more widely spaced than are the corresponding perforations 44 of the sole. Fig. 18 illustrates these parts after they are laced together through said perforations, and the fullness produced in the upper between the perforations 49. Fig. 1'7 illustrates a portion of the upper 5 I in the shank of the shoe where the perforations 54 in the upper are indicated as being more closely spaced than the corresponding perforations 44 in the sole.

The remainder of the upper including the quarters and counter portion of the shoe may be similarly prepared as indicated in Fig. 7. The illustrated upper comprises a saddle portion 50 and two quarters 5| all of these parts being lined and the counters 5! being provided With stiifeners 52. The upper and lining may be stitched together in any desired manner so that the stilfeners 52 are held permanently in place, or if preferred, the saddle pieces 5E! and the counters may be laced together by a lacing 53. As herein shown the saddle piece 50 is provided with a lacing slit 55 which lies above the tongue 4'! of the vamp. The entire margin of the upper is provided with perforations 54. The perforations which are to form the back seam are uniformly spaced and the perforations which are to unite the saddle piece 50 with the vamp 46 are uniformly spaced. The perforations about the lower margin of the upper however, which are to register with the threads.

perforations of the sole are not uniformly spaced with respect to the perforations 44 of the sole, but on each side of the heel seat they are spaced slightly closer together than the perforations 44 of the sole in order to impart a stretch to the shank portions of the upper when the shoe is assembled, thus improving the fit of this portion of the shoe. This arrangement of the perforations in the sole and upper is illustrated in Fig. 17, the perforations 54 being shown as spaced closer together than are the perforations 44 in in the sole. It will be understood that the overlapping margins of the various upper parts may be skived if desired to reduce the thickness of the same.

A back stay blank 56 is illustrated in Fig. 9. This is generally triangular in shape, provided with a tab 58 arranged to be folded over the back of the shoe and perforated along both edges with perforations 57 spaced uniformly with the corresponding perforations of the quarters 5!.

In Fig. 8 are illustrated two lengths of Waxed thread or lacing used in assembling the parts of the shoe above described. This is cut to length and provided with a pointed metallic tip 59 and may preferably be of all linen or other strong material,

'The parts of the shoe may be assembled as in Figs. and 11 and in this operation I prefer to start at the rear of the sole lacing the counters,

saddle portion and vamp progressively to the sole. I then lace the vamp and saddle pieces together and lace the back stay in place. Having united the parts, it is desirable to work a lacing 60 about the whole opening of the shoe and downwardly along the sides of the lacing slit. This expedient reinforces the upper edge of the margin and also prevents undue stretching thereof in wear. The shoe thus assembled may be completed by having a last driven into it while in a slightly moist condition and allowed to dry upon the last whereupon the material of the upper is shrunk uniformly to the width of the last and takes the fine lines of the last which are thus imparted to it.

The shoe particularly illustrated in the drawings and above described 'is a double soled shoe wherein the insole 4B is perforated at 42 and 44 and the outsole 30 is united thereto by threads 62 laced through the perforations 32 and 42. The shoe may be formed with a single sole as shown in Figs. 10 and .11, the perforations 42. being eliminated inv such case. If desired, the threads connecting the two soles (Fig. may, be additionally secured by tapered pegs 64 driven into the perforations and binding against the In Fig, 14 I have illustrated an insole 4i as grooved at 45 to receive the lasting margin of the upper. If the insole is not so grooved a sanitary removable and non-squeek innersole 66 may be used (Fig. 13), the margin thereof being undercut at 68 to receive the lasting margin of the upper.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is,

l. The method'of manufacturing shoes, which includes the steps of pre-forming a sole and an upper, perforating the margins of the sole and the flat unstitched upper with correspondingly and precisely located thread holes which are spaced more widely in certain parts and more closely in certain other parts of the upper than thecorresponding holes in the sole, and then bringing said holes into registration and uniting the parts off the last by passing lacing continuously through said holes.

2. The method of manufacturing shoes, which includes the steps of pre-forming a sole and an upper, perforating the margin of the sole and uniformly spaced thread holes, perforating the margin of the fiat unstitched upper with a similar number of precisely located thread holes of which those in the shank portion of the shoe are closer together than the correspondingholes in the sole, and then uniting the two off the last by continuous lacing through said holes and thus simultaneously stretching the material of the upper in the shank portion of the shoe.

3. The method of manufacturing shoes, which includes the steps of pre-forming a sole and upper, perforating the margin of the sole with a uniform spacing, perforating the flat unstitched upper with an equal number of precisely located by passing lacing continuously through 'corre- 10 sponding perforations in registration.

EDWARD F. MATHEWS. 

